Introduction 

            When I think about the couples I see for counseling and how serious they all are, I am reminded of Oscar Wilde’s famous quote about life. With a little paraphrasing, it applies to couples as well. “Relationships are too important to be taken seriously.” There are some couples who seem to keep this in mind, and they maintain laughter and play as a vital part of their relationship. Others can not or do not keep laughing, and their relationships often suffer as a result.

Laughter in a relationship is a treasure. It is one of our primary reasons for even wanting a partner. All of us can feel the magic power of laughter after we have a good belly laugh, and if someone offers us laughter as part of being with them, we tend to stay. Each time we laugh we feel better, our step becomes a little jauntier, and we feel closer to the person with whom we laughed. The world seems brighter and  friendlier, and we are able to approach things more positively.

Everyone involved in a relationship cherishes the positive feeling laughter provides. We all want to stay immersed in the love and laughter that brings us together. We want to keep the feelings that enabled us to join our lives together easily and in joy and optimism.

However, this very ease in forming our relationships causes our surprise at the effort required to maintain our positive feelings. Mysteriously, it becomes easier to bog down in the more serious aspects of living, no matter how much we love each other. As I listen to couple after couple describe their struggle to maintain a satisfying relationship, the fact that they seldom laugh and have fun together strikes me again and again.

Since I realize that couples don’t deliberately sabotage the fun in their relationships, I decided it must be due to a lack of ideas on how to keep playing and laughing while involved in something so important. We all need suggestions now and then on how to keep laughter in our lives. This workbook is the result of making concrete suggestions to couples over and over again on how to play with all the serious issues of a relationship. When we are able to approach the serious aspects of life with our partners with a playful attitude, we regain flexibility and fun, and our laughter increases. The result of more laughter in our lives is a closer, more loving relationship.

I sincerely hope that as you use the laughter techniques you will find in this workbook, you will experience a new immersion in all the warm and wonderful feelings you felt in the beginning of your relationship. If you enhance the laughter in your lives, you will no longer be two people caught in a solemn, stoic march through the duties of a relationship. Instead, you can be two, light-hearted people laughingly pulling each other along through those same duties. Always remember that couples who laugh together, last together.

                                                              Here’s laughing with you,

                                                                         Enda Junkins

                                                                                         
Laughter Therapy Products and Services

Services

Speeches: Keynotes, Workshops, Seminars 

Therapy: Marital, Individual, Family

Short term intensives can be arranged.

 
Products

Belly Laughter in Relationships--Something Else Positive Below the Belt: The secret ingredient in love is laughter. In this informative and sensible book, Enda Junkins helps us look at the love-laughter link while learning ways to transform "serious relationships" into relationships that last with laughter. Filled with insights and playful/powerful laughter exercises for couples, this book will help you learn how to: keep laughing and having fun with your partner; utilize laughter and humor to achieve effective communication; call on laughter to ease, enrich, and revitalize the four big relationship issues of sex, money, children, and housework. You'll also learn how to use laughter in a relationship with a "serious" partner. Discover the power of laughter in creating a lifetime of love that lasts. $14.95. 

Belly Laughter for Couples: The Belly Laughter Workbook : This effective and entertaining workbook reinforces and extends Enda Junkins' message that "love and laughter go hand-in-hand." Through questions, exercises, and self-tests, you'll learn how to laugh together and keep your relationships fun, healthy, and long-lasting. You'll love activities like "How Do I Laugh With Thee? Let Me Count the Ways, " "Wipe That Smile Onto Your Face," and "I May Not Always Be right, but I'm Never Wrong." You can't go wrong if you get this workbook.  $19.95.

The Power Of Laughter (Audio and Video)—A laughter filled presentation for everyone about laughter and its relationship to emotional distress. Practical ways to create more laughter in your life are provided. You will also have fun while you are entertained and educated. Video-$39.95  Audio-$14.95.

Laughter: The Light Solution For Stress (Audio and Video)—A funny, informative presentation on allowing laughter to heal stress. If you want to survive in today’s world, this will help you do it. Video-$24.95  Audio-$12.

Belly Laughter for Couples: Something Else Positive Below the Belt (Audio and Video)—A presentation full of fun and laughter which provides practical techniques for couples to maintain laughter and fun in their relationships till “death do they part.”  Video-$24.95   Audio-$15.

Lots of Laughter (CD or Audio Tape)—A variety of laughter only. Guaranteed to help you laugh. CD-$15   Audio-$10.

Pet Therapy Screen Savers: When feeling uptight at home or work, taking a few minutes to view the puppy pictures on one of these delightful screen savers will help you relax. Puppies of Miniature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise, Pugs, Bull Mastiffs, Shih Tzu, and English Bulldogs. $19.95.

“Blow It Out Your Pen” Pen—Blow bubbles for troubles. A bubble pen for work and play. $5.

Toilet Key Chain—Has a great big flush. Great stress toy. Requires imagination only. $10.

For more information on speeches, workshops, seminars, laughter therapy, and all laughter therapy products, please call, write, email, or fax:

 Enda Junkins, LCSW, LMFT, BCD
PO Box 684, Ouray, CO 81427
Phone:970) 325-0050
email: ejunkins@laughtertherapy.com     www.laughtertherapy.com